"You Could Make a Masterpiece"

Of Starry Nights, Mona Lisa's Eyes, and the Next Picasso

"Whenever you look at that painting," says Bridges Academy 5th-grader Sabrina, "it seems like her eyes are moving and always watching out."

Sabrina and her classmates Cristian, Joan, and Gemma are deep into a discussion of Leonardo da Vinci's Mona Lisa. Channeling the 16th-century masterpiece, Gemma strikes the subject's enigmatic, enduring gaze. "That's why it's famous!" says Cristian. They all nod.

"I've actually seen her move her eyes," offers Joan.

Bridges Academy's 5th-grade artists Gemma, Joan, Cristian, and Sabrina
with their portrait projects

"Well, it seems like they move because you see her looking at you," muses Gemma, momentarily breaking her Mona Lisa pose. "But that's the thing: It's all in your imagination. [The painting] really gets in your mind."

Art is clearly in the minds of Bridges students, both their own and that of legends like da Vinci, Van Gogh, and Andy Warhol. "We drew a picture that this famous guy Van Gogh painted," says Joan. "Starry Night. It's awesome. Beautiful."

"The wind," says Gemma. "He looked out his window and he painted it, that swirly wind."

Sabrina's rendering of Van Gogh's Starry Night

(Note: You can click on the images to see larger versions.)

"It's cool with all the stars," says Sabrina. "We did hatching with pastels [to recreate Van Gogh's technique]. Making art is important because you can show your feelings and express yourself. If it's your own art, then you're not copying anyone and they're going to think it's cool that you created something all by yourself, just out of your own thoughts."

"Art gives students an outlet for expressing themselves and a chance to be creative in a way they might not normally have during the school day," says the kids' teacher, Jessica Jung.

"It's fun times when you're doing art," says Gemma. "You feel excited about how it's going to turn out, and then when it's done you're proud of it."

"Some kids learn better through art or music, or social studies or science, and these all work together to create a full education," Jung says. In that spirit, she and fellow Bridges teachers connect art to standards in math, English, and other areas whenever they can. When her class studied Van Gogh's Starry Night, she tied it to an astronomy lesson, and building dioramas became an opportunity to explore history as the kids constructed scenes of different colonial regions. "It's all a way to process information in different and more entertaining ways," she explains. "They're not just writing and answering questions, but showing a real understanding by creating this scene."

"Art is important," says Cristian, "because some kids can draw their feelings on a piece of paper, and if they're happy they could draw the world, and their neighborhood, and houses, and they can inspire people."

"Art is a way of exploring the world," reflects Sabrina.

Joan agrees. "If some people see your picture of New York, they might like and want to go to New York."

"It might also make them want to do something creative like us," adds Gemma.

"Art gives students a chance to succeed in their own way," says Jung. "Particularly kids with behavior issues or who aren't as successful academically, other students can say, 'Wow, this student did a really beautiful job.' It's an opportunity for every student to feel successful in one way or another in class, and we see different parts of their character come out when they're doing certain projects."

"When I draw," explains Joan, "I think in my mind that one day I will become an artist. It's so cool. I might create the beautiful sea, a picture of New York, or my face in a self-portrait."

"Like a Picasso," adds Sabrina. "But instead of it being a Picasso, it will be a Joan."

With art, you could do anything you want," says Cristian. "You could make a masterpiece."